PNW BackStories

09/04/2026

It’s Up To Us

I’m getting out of the car in downtown Sheridan, Wyoming, when this young man walks up to me and says, “I see by your license plate you’re from Montana. I’m headed there and want to know what you recommend I stop to see.”

That starts a whole conversation with this 22-year-old recent graduate named Josh.
He is leaving his life in Fort Collins, Colorado, for a fresh start in Bellingham, Washington.
We gave Josh a laundry list of places to visit along the way.

As Kathy and I talked with this young man, my mind wandered to a podcast I had listened to earlier in the day.
An expert was talking about young men in America and how they are becoming addicted to gambling, p**n, and ma*****na, thanks to steps taken by leaders in our government.
Yep, those we have entrusted with leadership are opening doors, paving the way for their friends to make money and our young people to slip into the abyss.

The numbers are staggering.
The consequences real.
Young men in our country are being led down a path of destruction, so that rich people can get richer and elected leaders can be re-elected.
The whole thing disgusts me.
I won’t point fingers at anyone in particular, but you don’t have to dig deep to figure out who is behind it.

But here we are talking with Josh, and I realize the problem is real, but so is Josh and his idealistic hope for the future.

Kathy and I are embarking on a new venture.
We are The American Nomads, just months away from traveling around to find more people like Josh to inspire the rest of us.

We saw a poster for a fundraiser to help search and rescue workers at a local brewery and showed up.
We met Russell, a local at the bar, and Preston.
Both filled us in on the town, the people, and how change is here, but they aren’t afraid of it; they are managing it.
Oh, I have to tell you, the raffle prizes at the events were guns.
Where else would you find that?

As I prepare to meet a logger in Buffalo, I can’t help but think that the world is in a troublesome place.
Our leaders are digging themselves a hole they can’t escape.
There are consequences to our actions, and I believe they will be severe.

But there are also good people out there who hold on to hope.
People who create a better, less talked-about narrative that needs to be told, that needs to be heard by you and me.

Politicians or those who think they are in charge will solve our problems.
The solutions will come from people like us.
For too long, apathy has been our dance partner.
It’s time someone cut in and stopped them from stepping on our toes.
It’s time to create a new story of America.
You in?

The U of O sweatshirt Josh is wearing is just a coincidence.
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08/27/2026

Stop Talking Yourself Out of Living

We need to think twice before we utter the word “But.”
How many times in our heads do we say something like “I would look for a more interesting job, but?”
We allow the fear of failure or public scorn to keep us trapped in a prison of our own making.

Safe is no way to live.
We don’t want to act on every whim and fancy, but we also should never allow the “but” to keep us from exploring what could be, the adventure of a lifetime.

Comfort is the enemy of change.
I remember when I left KEZI after more than 25 years of working my ass off to get to where I was comfortable.
I didn’t have to worry about my job or future; I’d planned it out, failed enough to learn, and got to the top place in the business.

Looking back, I see how I gravitated to stories about people who dared to scrap it all and try something crazy.
I didn’t know at the time I was being infected by a desire to leave what was to find something more fulfilling.
I had plenty of “buts” in my way.
“But if I quit, how will I make a living?”
“But I’ve worked hard to get to this place, and now I’m going to throw it away?”

When I finally quit, there was a sense of relief and fear.
The next seventeen years were a mix of failures and successes.
Honestly, mostly failure.
I find failure is a better companion.
Humility creates lasting results.
Failure keeps us honest.
Falling on our face allows us to look up from the depths of ourselves and into the eyes of our creator.
Success is fleeting.

Now, Kathy and I are at another “but” moment.
We’re selling our house and have no idea where we are going to live.
But what if we’re homeless?
What if we can’t find a place to live?
Shut up, but.

We read where people wait too long to do the things they want to do and find they can no longer do them.
So, we bought a Sprinter Van and plan to take it on the road to discover new places and people to write about.
But what if it’s too hard?
What if we don’t like it?
What if, what if, what if?

Yeh, what if it’s the most amazing thing we’ve ever done?
We’ll never know if we keep listening to the butts. (lol)
Shut up, soul crushers and negative nellies.
We’re trying to live an adventurous life, not a comfortable one.

08/03/2026

07/05/2026

Found a little friend on our high mountain hike today.

07/01/2026

Don’t Let A Gate Stop You

There is a self-opening gate that is sometimes used on country roads.
It is loaded with a spring you cannot see, placed very close to the gate.
To the novice, upon approach, the traveler is tempted to stop.
It looks like the barrier is impassable, when in fact, those seeking to get through the gate must have faith enough to push forward.
You must be willing to take a risk and refuse to listen to the gatekeepers who scream at you to turn around.
That forward movement trips the spring and opens the gate.

I’m a lot like that traveler.
I see obstacles from a distance and hesitate to move forward.
My focus gets sidetracked by what stands in the way rather than stepping uncomfortably close to possible failure.

I don’t want to be disappointed or fail so it is sometimes easier to turnaround and look for easier passage.

When God makes a promise, there is no gate, no mountain, and no river big enough to stop us.
Our mind works against us, trying to protect us from perceived failure.
We ask questions like, “ Why won’t the gate open?”
“Why is it shut?”
We fail to realize we just haven’t allowed ourselves to get close enough to trip the signal and open the next chapter in our story.

It is difficult, in the moment, to find peace and clarity.
All the reasons we can’t seem to take center stage, while faith quietly sits in the wings, waiting for us to glance over and recognize the moment is near.

Gates serve many purposes.
They can keep things in or keep things out.
A gate can get in the way or show us the way.
But never let a gate stop you.
Don’t be afraid to get too close, or that gate may never open.